Harvester for peas, beans, &amp; c.



mo; 656,830. Patnted Aug. 28, 1900.

' c. H.-WH|TNEY &'s. F. GLENN. HARVESTER FDR PEAS, BEANS, 8L0.

(Application filed Dec. 1, 1899.

(No Model.) 3 Shets-Sheet 1.

is, E "lln mmm 4 ga wam cow l qhtmeweo Chm E \Shdb 1' Glenn/ 2% MA Gnome-p No. 656,830. Patented Aug. 28, I900,

c. H. WHITNEY E s. F. GLENN. HARVESTEB Fo'B PEAS, BEANS, 61.0.

(Application filed Dec. 1, 1898.) (N o M o d e I.)

I 1 m i z 3 Sheets-Shea! 2.

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Patented Aug. 28, I900.v c. H. WHITNEY & s. r. GLENN.

HABVEST'E R FOR, PEAS, BEANS, 8w.

(Application filed Dec. 1, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 SheetsShaet 3.

a vwamto'co Ulla/lea 17 W Shellyj 6% of one of the shelling-knives.

ITED STATES PATENT OFFIC" CHARLES H. WHITNEY, OF OOOKEVILLE, AND SHELBY F. GLENN, OF OASSVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,830, dated August 28, 1900.

Application filed December 1, 1899. Serial No. 738,835. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. WHIT- NEY, residing at Gookeville, in the countyof Putnam, and SHELBY F. GLENN, residing at Oassville, in the county of White, State of Tennessee, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvesters for Peas, Beans, &c.; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. i This invention relates to machines for harvesting peas, beans, and the like, and has for its object the production of an improved machine of this character possessing advantages in point of simplicity of construction and efficiency in operation.

The nature of the invention will be readily comprehended from the following detailed description, which isto be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pea-harvesting machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the fingers. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the bearing-plates for the shaft of the stripping-reel.

Referring tdthe said drawings by letter, A denotes the base-frame of the machine, which is supported at its ends on two wheels, one of which, B, is the drive-Wheel, while the other, 0, is inclined from the perpendicular to prevent the breaking down of unpicked peas. The drive-wheel is keyed on a short Shaft 13', journaled on the base-frame, and loose on this shaft is a sprocket-wheel 17, through which movement is imparted to the stripping device presently tobe described. The sprocket-wheel b is adapted to be thrown into or out of clutch with the shaft, the latter to this end carrying pins or projections b,

which are caused to engage V-shaped notches b in the end of the sprocket-wheel hub when the sprocket-wheel is moved inwardly. To

move the sprocket-Wheel into clutching position, there is employed a spring N, which is coiled around the shaft and interposed between a shoulder on the latter and the sprocket-wheel hub. v To unclu tch the sprocket-wheel, a lever 11 is employed, which is pivoted on the inner end of the draft-tongue D to be within easy reach of the driver, who

occupies the seat 6, and to this lever is piv otally connected an arm I), having a downwardly-extending bifurcated member, which occupies an annular groove in the sprocketwheel hub, by which construction movement of the lever is communicated to the sprocketwheel to unclutch the latter when the machine is being turned and when it is being hauled to and from the field of operation. Inasmuch as the unclutching movement of the sprocket-wheel is against the action of the spring If, it is necessary to provide some retaiuing device for the lever, and such device may be in the nature of a shoulder b, from which the lever can be readily disengaged. The tongue D is at its inner end secured between ears d on a sleeve 61, which is loose on the shaft.

The machine is provided at the front with harvesting-fingers, presently to be described, and to vary the height of the fingers from the ground there is provided an adjusting device consisting of an L-shaped lever f, pivoted on the tongue to bring its handle end within reach of the driver, the other end of the lever having link connection with the frame and which leveris moved forward and rearward to lower and raise the front end of the machine, the adjusted position being maintained by the engagementof a pivoted dog f with any one of a number of holes provided in a segmental plate f carried by the tongue. The machine is constructed to have an approximately even balance, with the shaft 13 and axle of the wheel a as a center, so that little power is necessary to adjust theheight of the fingers even though the machine may be in motion. At the front of the machine are uprights g, which prevent lateral move ment of the tongue with relation to the 'machine, and f are'stops on the segmental plate which limit the range of adjustment of the fingers.

Supported on the base-frame is an openended casing H, having a base-piece h, sides h, and a top W, the latter being formed in two sections, one of which, 77. is hinged and can be raised to give access to the interior of the casing. I denotes the stripping reel, which consists of a series of knives t, slotted at 1' near their ends for adjustable attachment to spiders t, which are keyed to a shaft i journaled in bearingsj at the front of the casing. In the bottom of the casing are picker-fingers K, and to adjust the knives to and from the fingers the bearings j are provided with securing-plates j of segmental form, each of which is pivoted on a screw and is provided beyond the pivotal connection with a curved slot J through which is passed a set-screwy. Obviously by loosening the screwsj the shaft and reel may be lowered or raised to effect the adjustment of the knives to or from the fingers. The knives tare of peculiar form. By reference to Fig. 5 it will be observed that each of the knives is provided near its outer side with a bend to bring the cutting edge 1' approximately at .a right angle to the body portion of the blade and that the cutting edge is formed by beveling the knife at the inner side. On the shaft i is a sprocket-wheel i which is actuated to rotate the reel through chain connection with the sprocket-wheel b. The sprocket-wheel t is relatively of small diameter, whereby its number of revolutions in a given time is increased over the number of revolutions of the larger sprocket-wheel b, with the result that the reel is caused to pick the peas with sufficient rapidity to prevent the machine from clogging. In other words, the velocity of the reel is considerably in excess of the rate of travel of the machine, the difference in speed being governed by the relative sizes of the respective sprocket-wheels.

The picker-fingers K are preferably separably formed, but are secured side by side at their inner end to the front of the base-frame. Eachof the fingers is provided at its upper rear side with a flange 70, which projects rearwardly from the finger-body for attachment to the frame or finger-bar, the other point of attachment being a downwardly-projecting L-shaped extension 7o, which abuts against the front and lower side of said frame or bar and serves torigidly hold the finger in its extended position. The flange 7c projects outwardly from each side of the finger-body and has an inclined approach the upper surface of which is a continuation of the upper side of the finger. wedge form and acts to deflect the vines to the narrow channel between the juxtaposed flanges 7c of adjacent fingers. The edges k of -the approach are rounded, while thoseof the flange are beveled, as shown in Fig. 4.

The points of the fingers are below the plane of The approach 70 is ofthe flanges and are adjusted to catch the pods which are low down on the vine and to reach vines which lie on the ground or lean from the perpendicular, the object being to graduall y raise the vines without danger of breakage and bring them into the path of the reel, which operates to cut or break loose the pods. Between the fingers, below the flanges, are abutments 70 which are of convex form in vertical section. These abutments are in the path of the vines and operate to prevent green vines, weeds, grass, and the like from lodging on the edge of the finger-bar, as would be the case were the square edge of the bar presented to this material. The pods as they are stripped from the vines by the action of the rapid] y-revolvin g reel are thrown by the latter into a pouch L, of canvas or other flexible material, which is supported at the rear side of the machine, with its open mouth at the rear of the casing. The pouch is rendered readily movable, its lower edge engaging hooks m on the base-frame, while at its upper side are rods Z Z, to which the pouch is fastened and which extend beyond the pouch to rest on' bars a 01, extending out from the casing. Pins '21 n are provided on the bars to form abutments for the rods Z, whereby the upper portion of the pouch is stretched and made secure. The lower edge of the mouth of the pouch is stiffened by a rod Z, and plates 0 on the inner sides of the casing are employed to confine the side edges of the pouch. This pouch receives all of the pods from the reel, and in the event that any of the pods are shelled in their passage the peas are recovered. The pouch is readily removed by dis engaging the lower edge from the hooks. Secured to the rear side of the base-frame is an apron or drag P, which serves as a support for the pouch and prevents the latter from touching the ground. This apron is hinged at its inner side preferably by means of hoops p on the frame engaging holes in the apron, whereby the latter may follow the inequali= ties of the ground and may be folded up when desired, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. To enable folding of the apron, the pouch L is folded by releasing the outer rod Z and drawing it against the inner rod. The outer end of the apron is curved upward, whereby picker-fingers having at their upper rear side. 1

flanges which are juxtaposed, to form channels for the vines, and having inclined approachesto said flanges, and curved abutments 70 below the flanges.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with picker fingers, of outwardly-curved abntments 70 at the inner end of the channels between the fingers.

4. In a machine of the class described, a picker-finger having at its upper rear side above the plane of the finger-point side flanges which extend beyond the end of the finger for attachment to the frame, an inclined approach to said flange, and an extension of the finger at a right angle thereto affording the other point of attachment to the frame.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with stripper mechanism, of a pouch having a month at one end and removably attached at the lower edge of its mouth, and supported at its top by rods removably resting on bars, and pins on the bars affording abutments for the rods.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with stripper mechanism, of a casing partia1ly inclosing said mechanism, a pouch having a mouth at one end and stiffening-rods at the top and bottom of its mouth and a rod at its upper rear end, hooks for securing the lower mouth side, bars extending from the upper end of the casing affording supports for the upper rods, pins on the bars for engagement with the rods, and plates on the inner sides of the casing for confining the sides of the'pouch-mouth.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a wheeled frame, a pouch suspended from the frame, and an apron or drag hinged to the rear of the frame to rest on the ground and to afford a support for the pouch, the outer end of the apron or drag being upwardly curved.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. WHITNEY. SHELBY F. GLENN.

Witnesses:

L. G. WHITNEY, L. ARNOLD. 

